Washington County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Washington County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Washington County was named for George Washington.[2] The county is located in the south-central part of the state.[3]
County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse
99 Public Square
Salem, IN 47167
Phone: 812-883-5748
County Website
Washington County Health Department
806 Martinsburg Road, Suite 100
Salem, IN 47167
Health Officer: Jeffery Morgan, MD
Phone: 812-883-5603
Fax: 812-883-5017
Email: sgreen@washingtoncounty.in.gov
Health Department
County Health Department birth and death from 1882.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, probate and court records from 1814 and newspapers from 1891.
County recorder has land records.
County Historical Society has many family records. [4]
Health Department has birth records and death records. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Washington County, Indiana Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1882 | 1814 | 1882 | 1814 | 1814 | 1814 | 1807 |
Record Loss
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
|
Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- Banks Family Bible Record at Indiana State Library Digital Collections
- Bible Records at JSTOR
- Washington County, Indiana, Records, Condensed Obituaries, Bible Records and Cemetery Records(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Biographies
- Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
- Biographical and Historical Souvenir for the Counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington, Indiana. (John M. Greesham & Co, 1889.) Available at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Washington County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 9,039 | — |
| 1830 | 13,064 | 44.5% |
| 1840 | 15,269 | 16.9% |
| 1850 | 17,040 | 11.6% |
| 1860 | 17,909 | 5.1% |
| 1870 | 18,495 | 3.3% |
| 1880 | 18,955 | 2.5% |
| 1890 | 18,619 | −1.8% |
| 1900 | 19,409 | 4.2% |
| 1910 | 17,445 | −10.1% |
| 1920 | 16,645 | −4.6% |
| 1930 | 16,285 | −2.2% |
| 1940 | 17,008 | 4.4% |
| 1950 | 16,520 | −2.9% |
| 1960 | 17,819 | 7.9% |
| 1970 | 19,278 | 8.2% |
| 1980 | 21,932 | 13.8% |
| 1990 | 23,717 | 8.1% |
| 2000 | 27,223 | 14.8% |
| 2010 | 28,262 | 3.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org" | ||
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Washington County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository.
For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Lutheran
- Records of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Court Records
- 1814-1818 Minutes, 1814-1818(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1926-1934 Coroner's Record, 1926-1934(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Directory of Businesses in Washington County, Indiana (1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- Dawalt Funeral Home in Salem.
- Hughes-Taylor Funeral Homes, Inc in Pekin and Salem.
- Weathers Funeral Home in Salem.
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See Indiana Land and Property for additional information about early Indiana land grants and patents.
After land was transferred from the government to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded at the Washington County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Washington County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- Centennial History of Washington County, Indiana. 1916. By Warder W. Stevens. Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Washington County, Indiana. 1965. Paoli, Indiana : Stout's Print Shop. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat). A re-production of the original "History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties", Chicago : Goodspeed Bros. & Co., 1884. Some links above may be of the full original title.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
Civil War
Civil War service men from Washington County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Washington County.
- 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company E
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company B
- 18th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 22nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 24th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 38th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 50th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 66th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, F, H, and K
- 81st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
- 112th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 117th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company G
- 137th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
- 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, C, and F
- 145th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
Civil War Books:
- History of Washington County Indiana: A Re-Production of the Original "History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties" 1884. (Salem, Ind: Washington County Historical Society, 1965.) ("Military History", Chapter 7, page 793-815, Regiment, Companies) Available at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
World War I
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers
Indiana newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
- 1800s-Current Indiana, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1804-2010 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Washington County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1808-1902 Abstracts of Wills of Washington County, Indiana, 1808-1902. By Davis, Lulie. Fort Wayne, Indiana : L. Davis, 1971. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at: FamilySearch Catalog
- 1814-1841 First Probate Book, 1814-1841(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1814-1900 Abstract of Wills of Washington County, Indiana, 1814-1900(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1814-1927 Probate Records, 1814-1927(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1821-1830 Will Records, 1821-1830(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1835 Appraisement of Benjamin Parkes' Estate, and Sale Thereof, 1835(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Students and Teachers of Salem High School (1926) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Directory of Teachers for Washington County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Birth
Marriage
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1800-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
- 1802-1892 Indiana, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry ($)
- 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
- 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Death
- Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry - index, (Free collection)
- 1750-1993 Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry ($)
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Washington County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Bedford Indiana FamilySearch Center
- New Albany Indiana FamilySearch Center
- North Vernon Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Shawnee Kentucky FamilySearch Center
- Crawford County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Jennings County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- New Albany-Floyd County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Washington County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Museums
The John Hay Center
Stevens Memorial Museum
307 E Market St
Salem, IN 47167-2119
Phone: 812-833-6495
Email: info@johnhaycenter.org
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Washington County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Southern Indiana Genealogical Society
180 W Spring St
PO Box 665
New Albany, IN 47150
Email: sigsvolunteer@gmail.com
Website
- The Society's collection of genealogical materials is housed in the Indiana History Room of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library.
Washington County Historical Society
c/o Stevens Memorial Museum
307 E Market St
Salem, IN 47167
Phone: 812-883-6495
Website
Websites
- Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
- Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Extensive - keyword searches suggested
- Indiana Memory Click the map or select a statewide collection
- List of indexes and databases at Indiana State Library
- Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- USGenWeb, Washington County
- INGenWeb, Washington County
- City of Salem, Indiana
- Washington County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Washington County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/washington/ accessed 04/05/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Indiana accessed 04/05/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Indiana, accessed 15 January 2020.